


Hot Wired

by TheOutCastAyh



Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Africa, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bucky Barnes Feels, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Bucky Barnes Returns, Canon LGBTQ Character, Character Study, F/M, Fake Science, Futuristic, LGBTQ Character, Minor Bucky Barnes/Steve Rogers, Minor Character Death, Minor Character(s), Philosophy, Physiology, Protective Steve Rogers, Psychology, Science Experiments, Search for a Cure, Wakanda, biochemisty, minor steve rogers/ bucky barnes, real science
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-19
Updated: 2018-07-16
Packaged: 2018-08-15 21:33:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 21,579
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8073439
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheOutCastAyh/pseuds/TheOutCastAyh
Summary: When scientists in Wakanda find a possible cure to Bucky's programming, they wake him up and ready him for testing as well as daily check ups and recordings of his behaviors. As soon as Steve gets the news, he flies over and overlooks the "cure". When all is good, everything goes bad. Bucky's programming only gets worse, and he targets all those who tested on him. Including SHIELD's undercover agent who so happens to be surveying Bucky's progress. If SHIELD takes him as a threat, the UN can intervene like they had before. Can Steve get Bucky before he does more damage or will they begin building more coffins for the people they couldn't save?





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Aye, Ayh here! This is a new book I started a while back, and hopefully I can end this nicely. :) This will be a slow updating story because of work and school so please be patient for the chapter updates! I hope you enjoy the story, I had fun with it, and I hope you will as well. :) So, for now, enjoy what's to come.

"Is this rolling?" The doctor said, tapping on the lens of a camera. Glancing to the screen away from the camera, she folded her hands looking at the camera directly again. "Alright. This is day nine of Barnes' process. 2:59 central time. He seems to have shown signs of natural stress, and all but that seems up to date." She flipped through a few pages attached to a clip board, "Blood pressure averaged about 120/80, which is normal. Beta waves taken under the MRI scanner is high, partially offset creating stress and anxiety in his body though he's still asleep, alpha waves disturbed when sleeping in the quiet surroundings even, and delta waves are more frequent while sleeping. _Dream-less_ sleep." She commented, pressing her hand to her mouth as she leaned on her palm staring at the papers before her. "Slight muscle dystrophy in his right arm, and growing redness in his left. A possible nerve ending irritation between the remaining metal and the skin on his shoulder." She glanced to the camera. "White blood cell count is good, and everything else seems intact."

She exhaled, closing the file, and staring directly at the camera. For a while it seemed like she was frozen but thoughts could be seen washing up behind her eyes, and she had so much to say. Sighing again, she looked over her shoulder to the empty lab room and back to the camera.

She pushed in closer, "The subject doesn't get enough dreams, his brain waves are significantly higher than more of a child's and it could be from possible PTSD or maybe a neurological condition that forces him to stay alert even when he's unconscious. Maybe even Narcolepsy." She shook her head lightly, "This is something we've never seen before, and this is something worth the while. We may not know what's on the other side of that wall holding everything in, but maybe if there was some sort of substitute to get over or break this subconscious wall in his head - we could reprogram what they've put in. Make what they've said subsidiary, at least until there's a permanent basis in which the Russian program no longer exists there or is pushed to the back of his thoughts. If we find a substitute cure, it'll buy more time for a permanent one while he's still conscious. That's _if_ we wake him. He's been in that tube for two years now, I think it's time. It's time to do something about it. With a few adjustments, new arm of his liking from Stark Industry - we could save Bucky Barnes."

In the distant video, a door could be seen opening and someone coming around. She turned looking and nodding.

"Yeah, I'm almost done. Just closing off." They left, and she looked back to the camera. "There's a possible cure for James, like a kind of reprogramming but more of a technological advancement placed in his body. His brain, more exactly. We'd take precautions in inputting a chip into his skin if he travels too far from base, but other than that - we're on our own with ideas." She pressed her thin lips together, "Dr. Waters signing out on input diary number twelve. 3 o'eight hours central time." Touching the keyboard, the recorded ended and was automatically sent to all computer software in hiding for safety and security reasons. Turning off the computer, and the lamp by the desk, she closed the lab door behind her and it locked instantly.

"Good work today Dr. Waters." Said a man passing her in the halls.

"To you too." She smiled, "What're you still doing around here? Thought you'd head home by now."

"I'm just locking up. I finished the labs on the local biohazard issues, and I'm mailing the pages out to the official tomorrow morning. You finishing up?"

"Yeah, just finished a log diary."

"About Mr. Barnes?"

"He's top priority around here."

"That makes me want to rethink this whole biohazard thing, maybe I should've chosen different subjects?" He joked.

She smiled, "I'll be glad to show you out."

"Getting rid of me?"

"You know I try my hardest to." Walking towards the containment rooms, they hung up their coats and grabbed their belongings. She groaned, "I forgot my labs." She grabbed her ID.

"I'll get them for you."

"No, it's alright." She said, "Are we still having lunch tomorrow?"

"Not if you bail."

"Going to work isn't bailing, its getting things done." She waved, and walked back down the halls through the check points where she'd swipe her ID, and security looking through the cameras would let her through.

 

At the lab, she opened the door and turned on the lights. Walking over, she sat back down, and quickly listened before uploading the video log she'd just recorded into her flash drive, and then some files she'd created. She wasn't working for bad people, she worked for SHIELD, and her duty was to assure the safety of not only the people but Bucky's as well. With the acception of Fury's compromise, she did not sign under the United Nations. King T'Challa knows, but the other agents - Agent Hill, Natasha Romanoff, James Rhodes, not even Tony Stark - have no clue she was on this mission. It was undercover, and hidden. Leaving the lab, she started down the hall, but stopped in an intersection. Pausing, she turned a different way and the security watched her through the cameras. Coming to a check point, she scanned her card and the door remained shut.

 

"Dr. Waters." Said the guard through the intercom.

"Fernando. Care to let me in?"

"What's your business in these halls? You know no one's allowed down here without the king's consent."

"Fernando, we've been over this. King T'Challa has allowed me to supervise the patient's vitals as well as unstable conditions, if anything goes wrong it would be on my hands. I'm just checking all signs before heading off, you have my word. I'll be in and out once I'm done checking."

The intercom was quiet, and then the door unlocked. "You have ten minutes."

"Thank you." She smiled, pushing the door open, and it automatically closed behind her.

 

Walking along the halls without check points now, she opened the door to a lab scanning her card, and once the doors closed behind her she was free from cameras or recordings. To motion, the lights dimmed on and she tapped the keyboard of a computer. It lit up every computer down the way, and the light gave more visibility. In front of her stood a massive cryotube, _the_ James Buchanan Barnes left asleep inside still. Wires attached to the tube, some they'd quickly injected, and then closed off into it to survey heart beat, brain waves, breathing patterns, everything from the tiniest twitch to a neuron triggering a simple minded move such as reaching for something. Looking at him, she couldn't help but let her eyes wander. He was there for two years while they searched the ends of Europe for answers, now searching the USA and Russia - though they don't like the intrusion - just to find a reverse switch to this locomotive running off the tracks. A weapon so advances that it was dangerous inside of a vessel so - _valuable_. Pressing her hand against the glass, the coldness felt like pin pricks but she didn't mind it.

 

"We've kept you in there long enough, Barnes. It's time we let you out." She said, stepping back and looking to the monitors. Seeing all was good, she started back for the door. Glancing back, she paused.

 

She couldn't imagine a more loss than being asleep for the rest of time and not having a cure for him, how awful it must be to wake up and every time he did it was a different year. It was just 2016 when he went back under, now in a blink of an eye it's 2018 and December was coming soon. 2019 would come, and by then they hoped they would find a cure, and fix Bucky's trauma. Turning off the lights and computers, she was left in the dark and the only stray of light poured in from the door when she opened it. Looking back to the cryotube wheezing and churning it's natural beat of machinery, she pressed her lips together in dissatisfaction.

 

"Don't worry Barnes, we'll get you back." Turning, she closed the door and started on her way out.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aye, Ayh here! After a while of rewriting and finalizing things, I've been trying to put an end to this story. It's a long one, but it'll do. Enjoy, and stay tuned for more. :) As always, remember, you are loved and important. Take care of yourself. :)

    "Good morning Dr. Waters." Smiled the receptionist.

"Good morning Ms. Gonsalves. How's your day?"

"Good."

Passing, she smiled to people as they walked by. King T'Challa has said before that hospitality is a way of remembrance, if some one were kind to everyone, those people would remember them for their good. Passing a few more nurses who were using their biosphere and overlooking growth in several indigenous animals for the health, Dr. Waters was practically the only one who overlooked a  _ human _ subject. SHIELD offered King T'Challa help and that they would not take or force Bucky anywhere unless told or became a threat to society or the people around him. He took their offer, and since then she'd been there. Two years in a cryotube is all she's ever seen of him.

Walking to the check points and scanning her ID, she passed a few spectators of the  _ project _ . Walking into the main room with the swipe of her card, she walked into a silent room seeing King T'Challa before them. She nodded. "Good morning."

"Good morning." He nodded his head as well, "I've just come down to check up on our friend here." He looked to the cryotube, "Is everything going well?"

"Yes, sir, it is." She held out the files she had of Bucky's vitals and conditions. "These are the documents stating his health from the recent checkup."

"This was yesterday." He questioned as he took it and flipped through the pages.

"Yes, sir." She started walking around the tube and checking everything a second time for the others.

"His  _ delta waves  _ are high?"

"Delta waves are waves given off when in a deep, dreamless sleep from the brain. Mr. Barnes seems to have long periods of this, more than an averaging adult over the ages of fifty."

"Well, Dr. Waters, our man here is over fifty." He chuckled.

"That doesn't change it. If he was frozen and conserved, his conditions should remain the same. If someone who smokes two boxes a day stops smoking entirely, it doesn't change the possibility of lung cancer instantly." She said in example, "Mr. Barnes may be suffering from some type of disease. Mental if that."

"How can you be sure?"

"I can't. Not without him out of the cryotube." She glanced around to her colleagues, they've talked this over. She took a step forward, "Me and the team have been speaking, just to be sure we meet corners. We wanted to offer a prompt, a possible cure for James."

"And how long have you been thinking this?"

"A while."

"You're a brave woman, Dr. Waters, to step in front of a king and keep things from him." He said, half serious. Staring a moment, he blinked and inhaled. "What do you mean by  _ cure _ ?"

"Well, after prototyping ideas technically and making the subject better - we wanted to see if we could create the first reprogramming slip into the human brain through technological waves through a identical neurotransmitter pulse."

"Meaning?"

"We access to one of his nerves and close it off, implanting a little chip that has the force to power cars themselves, we send Neural impulses to the brain. We signal certain things whenever he thinks of HYDRA, and eventually it will loop itself. We'll sit him down and talk with him normally, whenever he speaks about it, we subject it or block it with something else like a mind block. He'll no longer remember anything of them, like it never happened. Set it on a relay, and it will continue this every time he tries to remember. In psychology, it was once tested as a False Memory experiment through verbal confrontation. It's either this, or the less harmless approach by setting the chip beside his ear drum, and like that it's safely implanted and could be removed if so."

King T'Challa looked puzzled but thinking, "A chip, you say?"

"Yes. Bring out the prototype." She waved and the nurses moved about. Bringing along a small box, she opened it, and something the size of a tick tack attached to her finger. "Not only will it block the ideas of HYDRA but it will send other signals. Body signals like emotions, movements, so while it blocks the programming it will allow other things to pass along it. Like the checkpoints here, restricted visitors aren't allowed, but authorized personnel are. HYDRA is the restricted visitor."

He looked to the chip, and back to Dr. Waters. "May I have a word with you alone, Dr. Waters?"

"Of course." She put the chip back down on the white bottom of the display box, and the room began clearing. Once the door closed, King T'Challa began speaking. "This is a very bright innovation you have here."

"Thank you?"

"And you are still in contact with SHIELD? Anything that happens, you report to them?" He leaned against a desk.

"When things are drastic." She crossed her arms over her chest, "Do you believe I'm doing this to manipulate Mr. Barnes?"

"I never said a thing."

"Well, it sure sounds like you're implying it." Tension began building, and aggravation was growing in her. She stood before the cryotube, "Yes, I'm a part of SHIELD but they don't need to know everything that goes on. I may be a good soldier, but I'm not someone who finds everything bad just to have Mr. Barnes in UN custody. Mr. Barnes has been in this tube for two years now, going to be three in a couple of months, and we've finally, possibly found out something that can help him. And you're implying that I'm going to hand over Barnes now? I didn't sign with the UN for a reason, I would give my life before I let them get their hands on him. They'd kill him for what he's done, it wasn't him but programming in his head that made him a bad person. He saw himself as a good soldier, and nothing else. Wouldn't you want the same freedom if you were seen as something evil when only you knew the truth?"

King T'Challa stared, pursed his lips, and stood. "We'll start the project in a few days." He started for door. "We'll have him supervised in the time being."

"Wait. What're you saying?"

He stopped by the door, "He's been in the tube for long enough, has he not?" He commented, "I'll be here tomorrow morning, have everyone on the team in here, not a word about this to anyone but the science group Dr. Waters."

"Yes sir."

He stared, "You are a brave woman, Dr. Waters. I just don't know if you were born with it, or SHIELD made you who you are."

"I like to think I was born with it, SHIELD just shoved me, and told me to suck it up. They helped."

"Good," he reached for the handle, "We need leaders."

"Why?"

"Because not only are women brave and strong, but they are nurturing. Don't tell the others but I believe woman are the stronger of both genders."

She smiled and he smiled back, "Thank you King T'Challa. You won't regret this."

"I hope not. I have faith in you." Opening the door, he said goodbye and left. In the room alone for the while, she turned to the cryotube and smiled.

"Well, James, tomorrow's your big day. You wake up tomorrow. I only hope that you'll be the same as before. Before all this." She said, remembering the stories King T'Challa once told her because of Captain America's blabbering rant of missing his best friend.

He's called in to ask him if everything's alright, but since the beginning of the year, there's been no contact with any SHEILD agents but Dr. Waters occasional report once a month. She was the only SHIELD agents on the job, and she was the only the king trusted besides Captain America. The community was the only she'd been in contact with. Pressing her hand against the glass, she smiled to the still figure.

"I won't let anything happen to you or anyone else. I promised that I'd make you better, and now I can." Dropping her hand she sighed in confidence. "Tomorrow's the day." She mumbled as the door came open and the nurses came back in. She turned to them, and inhaled preparing for the questioning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bucky's big day, huh? Two years in waiting, and now he's coming out! Stay tuned. :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aye, Ayh here! I don't know what's happening but my documents seem to be doing a little glitch, but I'll recover them. :) Hope you enjoy.

Entering the lab room, the nurses moved around, shuffling to get to their places in the room and King T'Challa was standing in the middle of it before the tube. "King." She said, walking up beside him.

"Today is the big day." He said, smiling down at her.

"It is."

"Are you nervous?"

"To finally meet James Barnes after all this time? Of course." She looked to the cryotube as his eyes never left her wide eyes full of excitement. "There's nowhere I'd rather be than this red carpet event." She smiled.

He smiled, "Mr. Rogers cannot make it. Today, he is very busy."

"I would understand. After all that's happened, when Mr. Barnes was roaming around and the whole world was searching for him. All that trouble, he'd have to stay in the shadows forever until he could show his face again. I'm just glad one of them is safe."

"Good." He said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "When you are ready."

"I thought you called the shots."

"This project is yours, you are the conductor." He stepped back, and the room grew silent. She glanced around to the watching eyes, ready for anything. She looked back to the tube, to the sleeping Barnes. "Me?" She mumbled to herself, giving herself a moment of thought.

_ Did she really want to do this?  _ Open the cryotube to any possibility that Bucky might be the same calm, easy going person she was told he was back in 1944? She looked back to King T'Challa and he nodded, giving another gulp, she reached for the panel of the cryotube, and pressed in the buttons. One after the other, slowly, the fog and frost on the glass disappeared. The glass began to slowly slide out of place, and Dr. Waters stood back as everyone held their breath. Fighting her own fear, she took a step forward towards the close-eyed body, and she let out the pent up air in her lungs. She gulped, stepping closer in arm's reach of the tube.

"Mr. Barnes?" She called, the air that seeped out of the tube lingering in the air like someone had left the freezer open. "James Barnes." She called again, coming closer, almost close enough to count every inhale and exhale of his chest from under the constraint of the strap across his chest.

King T'Challa took a step forward to confront her, but the sudden twitch in Bucky's face made him stop.

First it was his eyelids twitching, like Bucky were going through some bad nightmare, and then the slow turning of his head. His eyebrows furrowed, and he took one big inhale and exhale before slowly opening his eyes. Blinking the bright light out of his eyes, Bucky laid his eyes on Dr. Waters first, there was no emotion to show but confusion.

"Mr. Barnes?" She questioned, looking him in the eyes. "Mr. Barnes, I'm Dr. Waters. I work for King T'Challa of Wakanda; can you tell me your full name?"

He cleared his throat, blinking some more. "James Buchanan Barnes."

She smiled slowly, her heart beating happily. "It's a pleasure having you back, Mr. Barnes. And it's a pleasure to finally meet you."

He looked confused at her, and then to the room of on looking people. King T'Challa among them, and he nodded to Bucky. Bucky didn't know what to do, but furrow his brow, and watch Dr. Waters.

After a long while, they'd situated him out of the cryotube and into a chair across from it. Dr. Waters had gotten him a cup to drink out of, and King T'Challa stood behind Dr. Waters as she set a chair in front of Bucky watching as he moved slowly. When Bucky's cup was empty, he set it aside, and the silence around them seemed deafening. The room empty. 

"How're you feeling, Mr. Barnes?" Asked Dr. Waters, hands folded gently in her lap.

"Alright." He mumbled, "A little stiff in the back."

"It's been quite some time." She scoffed.

"How long has it been?"

"It has been two years, Mr. Barnes." King T'Challa said.

"Two years?" He looked between the two, "Why has it been two years? Are they still looking for me? Where's Steve?" He said panicked.

"Mr. Barnes," Dr. Waters held out her hands in surrender, "You're alright. No one is out looking for you anymore."

He went quiet, shoulders slightly relaxing.

"The reason we woke you up, is because," she glanced to T'Challa, "We may have a possible cure for what they've done to you."

"A cure?" He sounded unsure. "What kind of cure?"

"If you need me, I'll be in touch." King T'Challa said, "I must be somewhere."

"Yes, sir." Dr. Waters stood, bowing her head lightly, and he nodded to Bucky. Placing a hand on his shoulder, he gave an assuring squeeze and walked towards the door. Dr. Waters remained in front of Bucky, and he over looked her in suspicion.

"What's this cure you're talking about?"

She looked to him, blinking slowly, "Well, it took some time, we searched everywhere until a few of us gathered some ideas and we came up with the best thing we could find. We created a," she walked over to a desk, holding the small white box, and back again, "small prototype of it. It's a communication chip, meant to send pulses, like neurotransmitters do in the brain." She opened it showing the ant sized chip.

"What's that supposed to do to me?" He looked just about ready to run.

"It wouldn't do anything but what you wanted it to do in the first place, it's a cover for what they've done to your head."

"I don't want a cover, I want to fix it."

"We don't have the right technology to, this is a substitute, until we can find the right thing for you. We wanted to have you conscious. While we searched." She stared, "Mr. Barnes, if this makes you uncomfortable, you can say so."

"It makes me uncomfortable."

She went silent, closing the box slowly, and holding it in both hands as if clasping something as precious as a pearl.

"I wanted to be woken up only if you found a cure."

"With respect, Mr. Barnes, you've missed quite a lot in that tube. You don't want to miss anymore."

"I'd rather miss the end of the world, if it means I can't have a normal life again."

They both knew they couldn't live normal lives, Bucky couldn't go back to the life he used to have in Brooklyn all those years ago, and she couldn't go back as normally as she could in her job as a SHIELD agent. Dr. Waters inhaled and exhaled slowly. "Mr. Barnes, I've been supervising your condition and life for these two years non-stop. I've been waiting for the day that I could meet the man the world once wanted for all the wrong reasons. A man with the other side of a story that no one else knew, but himself. Those are the people who are most valuable, the one's with the side of the story that no one wants to hear. But -  _ I do _ ." She put down the box onto the chair behind her, and stared at Bucky. "I've been the one to decline and accept offers, in proxy of your voice. I've promised not only King T'Challa but Mr. Rogers as well that I wouldn't let anything happen to you, the UN would have to go through me before taking you, and SHIELD would have to take away everything I own before calling you a criminal again." She neared only but a inch closer, still so far from reach. "I saw a chance at making you better, a chance at you being alive and well again. I didn't know how it would go, but now I know. If you prefer a longer rest, then I'll grant you your wishes." She nodded, pulling the chair and box away. "If you think else what, there will be a room and food waiting for you at your command." She stood before him, giving a somber smile. "It was an honor meeting you Mr. Barnes, I've been waiting a while for this meeting, and I'm grateful for what I've been given." Nodding to him, she walked around the counter he sat on, and went to pull the door open.

"How would it work?"

She looked over her shoulder, hearing this small mumble. She closed the door. "There's two options. Surgery so we could implant the chip into a direct current of a nerve ending, or placing it inside the ear beside the ear drum giving the pulses through to the brain that way."

"Will it hurt?"

"We'll be using Local Anesthesia. Part of your body will be numb, and that part will be your ear for the time being. If you chose the first option, we have to put you under with a general anesthesia we have." She said over her shoulder. "If you do this, I can guarantee you one thing."

"What's that?"

She paused, "If all goes well, I'll find you a place to hide out where no one will remember who you are. You'll be safe."

"I'm a dead man running."

" _ Were _ . No one knows you're alive, they all think you died two years ago."

"Why?"

"Someone in SHIELD made a cover story for you, saying you were killed in action out in Siberia. Your body was never found due to the winter storm washing up."

"Any clue who?"

"No." She said, giving an inhale, "If I were you, I'd make up your mind quick. Your biggest fan is going to be coming. He's been a bit busier than you, running around in the outside world. If there's one thing to show, it's that Captain America is definitely not dead in the Middle East." She paused, "He never stopped looking either."

Bucky looked to the ground, and back to the cryotube.

"He's been helping as much as he can, but I don't think he can't do much anymore. He's still considered a fugitive under the eyes of the United Nations." She turned the handle of the door, "I can't really say much, I don't know the guy like you do. But from what I heard, he's a good person."

"He is." Bucky mumbled, looking over his shoulder to Dr. Waters. "You never told me your first name. You said your name was Dr. Waters."

"Alex. Alex Waters." She looked at him.

"It's nice to have met you too Alex."

She nodded, emotionless, and she pulled the door open. "I'll have someone in to check in on you, when you make your decision." She stepped through the door, "It truly was an honor meeting you Mr. Barnes. After all this time making sure you were okay inside of a cryotube, I'm glad to know that you're okay now outside of it." She smiled lightly, and closed the door behind her without another word.

Settled into the lab room across the way she insisted on helping the others with their work, her job seemed just about done. Bucky had made up his mind, or it seemed, that he wanted to go back into the cryotube. Looking through a microscope, she turned the knob closer by very little increments until the digital image came in clearly of the minerals she'd scraped up from what could possibly be Adamantium. She'd found a small chip out on the road, scooping it up, it wasn't like the other rocks around. It'd been hours since her depart from the room, and when the door opened, the scientists looked up but her as she wrote down attributes of the possible material under the scope.

"Dr. Waters?"

She looked up finally to the nurse in the doorway, and she furrowed her brow. "Yes?"

"You're needed."

Slowly, she stood up, and felt every single scientist's eyes on her in the room. Turning off her scope, and putting the materials back into the small case, she put it into her pocket as she started for the door and the nurse followed her to the hall. "What's this about?"

The nurse gestured to the room across, "Mr. Barnes," she said, "He's  _ made his decision _ , he says."

Hearing that, she nodded and headed towards the door. The sun was already in the middle of the sky, and as she pushed the door open, the room only grew still. The only other person in the room was a nurse checking Bucky's blood pressure with the brace on his right arm. Taking off the brace, Dr. Waters stood in front of him as the nurse began packing up her things. "You called?"

He remained quiet as the nurse moved about, leaving the room, his eyes met hers again. "I thought about it." His stare narrowed down, "I don't want to be a monster, and ruin things out there and cause more damage that I already have."

Dr. Waters nodded, so he  _ would _ decline her offer and go back into the tube.

"I want to do it."

She started take back.

"I want to try."

Silently, she nodded and clasped her hands together. "It's a quick process, but we're also planning on creating a replica - arm. It won't be as strong, we couldn't find vibranium but I think I've just found some vibranium on land." She quickly pulled up the stool she sat on earlier, sat even closer, enough to almost touch knees. "Such as used for Ultron as well as Mr. Roger's shield using a vibranium-adamantium alloy metal - we could as well give you back your arm."

He scoffed, "I lost my arm a long time ago." He said, "This was just a cover up."

She nodded, looking him in the eyes sincerely. "You really want to do this?"

"You're making me not want to."

"I'm just making sure, protocol says I have to reassure any possible outcomes." She reached out her hand, and he didn't know what to do. Hesitant to move his hand, she clasped her hands around his and pressed her lips into a firm smile. "Steve said he would be here in a day tops, who knows if he'll get here by tomorrow. But I want you to know that I will overlook every procedure they have for you, and I will make sure that you will get out of this alright, and ready to take on the world on your own two feet again. You are in control."

He nodded.

"I'll have King T'Challa noted, and he'll get you your room and once you settled in we'll get you fed." She stood, putting the stool aside still holding his warm, right hand. "Don't you worry Mr. Barnes, I'll make sure they'll damn well take care of you like they're working on their brother."

"They call me _ Bucky _ , you know. Mr. Barnes was my father." He corrected.

"Friends call you Bucky, Mr. Barnes. I don't think I've earned the title just yet." She walked to the door.

"You took me out of the tube and offered me a new life where I could control my own actions. I think I owe you something for it."

**She opened the door, "Then consider after the surgery we'll go on a date then." ** She smirked, and he smiled lightly. "See you soon, Buck." Closing the door behind her, she smiled widely and continued on to tell King T'Challa over a call and get Bucky into a room. ****

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This glitch-glitch stuff isn't my thing, and I'm not liking it but it looks like it's only on a small page. So, I recovered it and here you go. :)


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aye, Ayh here! Chapter update. I love this story and it's still in the making of me finishing it up, but I'm working on a bunch of other things right now. But, enjoy nonetheless. :)

When the jet touched down in Nairobi, Kenya's International Airport, Dr. Waters was the first one there to meet Mr. Rogers. He walked out of the plane with a backpack on his back, and a plain black baseball cap on his head. Meeting eyes with the guards around as well as Dr. Waters, the only woman and one not wearing a uniform but a knee high pale blue dress, he walked down the stairs and approached.

"Mr. Rogers, it's an honor to meet you." She held out her hand, "Dr. Waters, I'm the one overlooking Bucky's progress as well as the one who had you called as soon as the official idea came about." They shook hands.

"Steve Rogers. Hi." He followed her as she moved along. "How is he doing?"

"He's quite alright. Healthy and we're working on getting him back on his feet. He hasn't walked in two years, and the feeling of walking again is like new again to him." The security moved along to the  _ Maybach _ cars, opening the back door for her and Steve. Getting inside, they began moving along the terrain.  _ "Window up, please?"  _ She said in Swahili.

__ _ "Yes ma'am."  _ Said the driver.

Steve watched as the driver pulled the partition up between them, and too distracted by it to notice Dr. Waters taking out a file from under the seat. "These are the latest files of his health as well as some files I documented during his sleep. Maybe I could do something about this, but his delta waves are high. When a person sleeps, they reach highest delta waves in a dreaming state, it is the third and fourth stages. It's the deepest stages of sleep." He flipped through the pages in the manila folder, "I've brought it up, but no one seems to be listening whenever I say it."

"What's the problem with deep sleep?" He asked, looking to the photo they'd taken of Bucky from outside the cryotube. It only reminded him of when he was going out to search for Bucky, just after he knew the Winter Soldier was Bucky and they'd had a ceremony for "Fury's death".

"It's not the problem, it's the outcome. In this state, the host dreams. Bucky - he doesn't dream. Something in his head is damaged, whether it be mental or physically damaged, I'm betting on that he has a sort of disorder that everyone's looking over. You can help."

"How?"

"You’re his friend, he trusts you. Maybe you can confront him about it, bluntly or subtle, whatever the case. I just need to know before we go into any sort of surgery or event."

"Surgery. Hold on,  _ surgery?" _

Dr. Waters stared, "Something tells me King T'Challa didn't tell you everything."

"He definitely didn't tell me about surgery. Did Bucky approve of this?"

"As of yesterday."

"As of -." He scoffed hysterically shaking his head, "I came here to see how he's doing, not to watch him go into surgery."

"Mr. Barnes has accepted the fact that anything could go wrong, he's just focusing on the good that could and will come out of this. It's best if we all thought like him, and didn't blow our hatches about it. Not around him at least."

Steve looked out the window to the cities passing them by, they'd be in Wakanda again in a couple of hours.

"Mr. Rogers, I understand you're concerned for Bucky, I am as well. I was the one doing everything, I was his voice when he was frozen, I declined a lot of offers of technologically advanced devices because I wanted to be the one to create a friendly option in the end, I didn't want someone getting into his head again, and then I would be the fault in the line. He would suffer again, only because of me this time. All these years, I've made sure that he was kept under lock and key, under my supervision, all because I was allowed to work in Wakanda. King T'Challa has allowed me to, he trusts me."

"Doctor?" He mumbled, still staring out the window. "Where do you come from?"

"I came from Brooklyn."

He turned his attention to her, "Really?"

She nodded.

He shook his head lightly, "And you just signed up to keep an eye on Bucky?" He asked, in a hysterical type. "Where did you graduate?"

"Princeton University in New Jersey."

"Studying for being a surgeon?"

"No." She sunk into her seat, "Biopsychology, Physiology, Computer Science, and Molecular and Cognitive Neuroscience in the same course."

Mouthing  _ wow _ , he looked to her. "How old are you? Respectively speaking, of course."

"No offense taken." She mumbled, "My birthday just passed. I'm official 29. Four degrees later, and here I am. I haven't stopped moving, and I don't think I will anytime soon." She cleared her throat, "Back to Bucky." She said, "He may be suffering from a psychological disorder, but I didn't want to intervene with his already busy schedule. Now that you're here, I can only hope that he will confess something about his dreams or how he's feeling."

"Did you ask?"

"I did, but I got the regular response." She raised her eyebrows, resting her chin on her hand as she looked outside the window. "We can only hope for the best." She sighed, and Steve looked her over once.

A beautiful woman in a pale blue dress, a woman of power and knowledge, the last time he'd be in the same car as someone like that was with Peggy. The beautiful, oh so wonderful Peggy. He missed her. Turning his attention to the window as they began down the dirt roads out to the outskirts of Kenya, they'd soon head back to the laboratory, and then Steve would see Bucky. Steve would  _ see _ Bucky, he hasn't seen him in two years. Not out of the tube at least. It made him nervous to see how his best friend had held up all this time, awake for just a day, he wondered if he was still the same old Bucky. His Bucky, awaiting for the time that they got there, he leaned his head back on the seat staring out of the window and closed his eyes.

"Mr. Rogers?" A hand shook his shoulder lightly, and slowly he woke up. "Mr. Rogers, it's time to leave."

Opening his eyes, he saw Dr. Waters standing by the door and stepping away, he brought his backpack up with him as he got out of the car and stared at a dirt path along some trees. "Where are we?"

"We can't have a road out to the lab," she said lowly as the security personnel moved about to get back into the cars. "It would be too noticeable." She held her hand up to the driver, " _ Thank you for the car ride. Be safe." _

_ "You also, Miss Waters."  _ Said a man as he opened his car door and got in, they drove off pretty quickly. 

"Come." She said, "We have a way to go."

After a long walk along unpaved paths, and through a small stream, Steve panted a little with his plaid long sleeve tucked around his waist showing off his white tee shirt under. "Do you normally walk this far? Last time I was here -."

"Last you were here, it was safe. Now, two years later, people have been trying to find James. For bad things I can only imagine, we had to use different tactics in order to keep him safe. Like I said, I was the one looking after him. I made sure no one got to him, or his files." They crossed over a small stream, one step and they were over it.

"And you walk this path how many times?"

"This will be the second this year." She said, not fazed by the terrain and elevation. "Mr. Rogers, are you tired already?" She mocked, "Should we stop?"

"I'm fine." He waved his hand.

"You know, dehydration is the main cause of sickness and death around here." She shook her head smiling, "Should've got you a water bottle in Kenya if I knew you were going to be this tired. Don't worry, we're almost there. A few more minutes." She said, and sure enough minutes later they were in the clearing of a hill overlooking the tall statue of the Black Panther and the lab right behind it. "Here we are. Nothing like home."

Getting to the small path they'd tagged with colored green flags in the trees, she followed them until they were walking up the dirt hill towards the front entrance. Guarded by men with their guns and army suits, she nodded to the guards.

_ "Good afternoon, how is your day?"  _ She asked.

__ _ "Good, and you?" _ Said one guard.

__ _ "Good, though I think men of America are not used to our terrain. Panting like a dog from just walking." _ She joked, and they laughed healthfully.

__ _ "He looks more like a doll than a soldier." _ Said the other guard.  _ "Bet he does not like his hands dirty and work from the military." _

_ "Although it does not appear, this soldier’s done a lot for his country and ours. Be thankful." _

__ _ "Yes ma'am." _ They both chanted, and she gestured Steve in.

"What was that?"

"A future reference. They see you as a joke, and not a threat. It's good on your part, so keep it that way." She said, going to the front desk. "Good afternoon, Ms. Gonsalves."

"Good afternoon, Dr. Waters. You're need in the patient's quarters, it's urgent."

"Yes ma'am. Page the wing, and tell them I'm in." 

"Yes ma'am." Dr. Waters moved along the halls with Steve following.

"This place has gotten busy over the years."

"King T'Challa requested that we did more with the place, when I came in it was just an institute for Mr. Barnes. Then the local reserves came in, as well as the bio research team. It gives the building more a purpose and identity than just a hideout." They turned corners and moved down halls. "Once they'd expanded it, more than twenty people were put on the job. Not only from Africa, but some from England here for transfers and alliance between Africa and other countries. As long as England stays here, we're set to look professional and not secretive."

Passing the lab, she continued walking until they got to the less populated area and down the silent halls.

"How long has he been awake again?"

"We woke him about three days ago, and for the first time he went to sleep like a normal human being after two years." She stopped in front of a door, "Mr. Barnes is a special kind of person, and I realized that after he'd sat down in the first hours of him being awake. He didn't have to say anything, I knew. If you have any objections, please tell me. I may have a major in psychology, but I can't read minds." Going to knock, he quickly grabbed her wrist.

"Wait." He said quietly, letting go of her wrist, and she looked up at him. "Is he still the same?"

"I don't know how he was before, I'm sorry."

Going to knock again, this time he held up his hand. She dropped her hand.

"I'll go in first, and then you'll come in." She said, "Clear?"

He nodded.

"Any questions?"

"No." He said.

Nodding slowly, she turned for the door and knocked lightly. There was silence, knocking again, she waited. "Mr. Barnes, it's Dr. Waters. May I come in?"

There was silence a moment, before an answer. "It's open." He yelled.

Dr. Waters glanced to Steve, "It's going to be alright." She said before pushing open the door, and Steve stepped out of sight. Walking into the single room setting, the large windows overlooked the vast canvas of trees and sky. The walls and floor white, the bed white as well, the only offset colors in the room was the desk, and the book shelf being a cherry wood brown. Bucky was sat on the bed with a book in hand, headphones on his head, and a music player playing lightly in his ears. Pushing the headphones out of his ears, he set aside the book. Dr. Waters smiled at him. "Hi, how're you doing?"

"Good." He sat up with his legs over the edge of the bed. 

"Feeling sick? Any discomfort? Irritation?" She gestured to his left, missing arm.

"A little." He said as he allowed her to push back the short sleeved shirt and gently run her fingers along the connection between metal and skin.

"How's your sleeping?"

"Is this twenty questions?" He scoffed.

"Standard procedure, actually." She corrected in a slightly playful tone.

"Where were you? I asked for you an hour ago, and they said you went out."

"Business. I went out to Kenya to pick up an old relic. I think you might like it actually." She smiled lightly, and it grew into a smirk ."Do you mind?" She asked, pointing to the coffee machine they'd allowed him to have from an unused room that sat on the top of the long bookshelf.

"Help yourself." He mumbled, giving a sigh and looking to the window. "So, old relic? What is it? Can it help me?"

"I think so." She said, pressing the brew button and putting a cup under to catch the coffee. Letting it pour, she stepped back over to standing in front of him. "If you don't like it, I think we'll just have to send it back."

Steve knocked on the doorway of the room, and Bucky's head whipped to look at who was there. His chest heaved lost breath, and his wide eyed looked shocked and lost. "Steve." He said, quickly going to stand but his legs giving a wobble and released.

Dr. Water quickly grabbed him, holding him up with her hands around him. "You okay?" She asked.

He nodded, giving a heavy inhale and exhale.

"Don't push yourself." She warned, "You're okay. Take it easy. Good?"

He nodded again, as she slowly let go of him, and he stood on his own stiffly. Steve walked over in front of him, and without a word they looked at each other. Steve smiling so sincerely and at a loss for words, he said, "It's really great to see you," as he opened his arms and envelopes Bucky into his arms. Bucky held him back with what strength he had.

Walking out of the moment and over to her cup of coffee, and reached for the small jar of sugar, and put in a bit as it dissolved. Bucky and Steve pulled back from each other, and they sat down comfortably facing each other.

"How do you feel?" Steve asked.

"Feel like I slept too long." He joked, and the two of them chuckled lightly.

Dr. Waters saw that they had a chemistry she couldn't ever have with him in the tiny times span they have. Sipping her coffee, she walked over to the window and looked out listening to their conversation.

"Two years, that's all it took for someone to find something to fix you." He shook his head, glancing to Dr. Waters by the window. "Unbelievably fast." He said, and he realized that maybe the  _ cure  _ was found a little too fast for someone who's 29 years old. He started to grow suspicious of Dr. Waters. "Dr. Waters."

She turned to their attention, "Yes, Mr. Rogers?"

"I'd like to know what will happen with Bucky. If anything happens, I should know about it."

She nodded, "Surely." She folded her hands putting the cup down. "Mr. Barnes will be in physical training to get him back into what shape that will allow him to walk and move properly, meanwhile we're going to keep tabs on his health physically and mentally. Whichever procedure Mr. Barnes finds suitable, we'll follow by his words."

"What's the cure? What did you do to fix him?"

"We've created a transient electromagnetic pulse chip in which we would either input into the direct lining of a nerve in his body, or we would place it into his ear where it would be removed and or kept if he finds it comfortable enough. It will send pulses, like sonar, but instead it was be giving off high frequencies that will allow Mr. Barnes to think properly without the thought of whatever they put in his head. It's used as a substitute, like shock therapy, though there's no shocking going on and it's harmless."

"Have you tested it on anything?"

"We actually have not, this is the first test with it." They seemed to tense at the words, "But we've run tests with it, through computer software, and there are no glitches or problems with it. I can assure you that."

"How are you going to put this thing into him and not know if it'll work or not?" Steve asked.

"Sometimes the power of hope helps. Like when a surgeon goes into doing surgery on someone, he does his best, and makes sure to color within the lines. He can only hope that the patient would after do the same effort and work out there, like he's done on them." She looked to Bucky. "Mr. Barnes -."

" _ Bucky.  _ His name is Bucky." Steve corrected, bothered by the use of professional terms.

She cleared her throat, "Bucky -," she said, "has all the say in this. If he changes his mind last moment, we drop all things, and follow his word. This is his body, and he's allowed to do whatever he pleases."

"And if he wants it off of him after the procedure?"

"We'll take it off." She looked to Bucky, "I will do everything in my power to keep you satisfied. You have my word."

He nodded lightly, keeping quiet as he glanced at her.

She sighed, "I guess I should leave, I've disturbed you enough." She grabbed the cup, and started for the door. "I'll return this when I'm done."

"Dr. Waters." Bucky called.

She looked over, and held the door handle. "Yes?"

"Thank you."

She pressed her lips into a thin smile, "You're welcome." She clasped her coffee cup closer, "Call me if anything, I'll be in the lab." She said, closing the door behind her, and standing there a moment. Looking down at the cup of coffee, she sighed in defeat and walked off towards the lab.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aye, Ayh here! Chapter update. Hope you enjoy :)

    "Dr. Waters?" Called a nurse, looking into the lab as she turned in her chair and looked to her. "Your patient is walking the halls."

Dr. Waters quickly got up, "He's not supposed to be walking." Putting down her papers, she rushed towards the door to see Bucky with his arm around Steve's shoulder guiding him slowly down the hall. Bucky's face was scrunched in discomfort, and Steve's grip held tight on his side. Taking another step, Bucky's foot faltered and Steve clenched Bucky to his side strongly. "Careful!" Dr. Waters muttered, rushing up and supporting Bucky on her side as well. "What're you doing out of bed? You're not supposed to be walking yet. You weren't supposed to let him walk." She projected towards Steve.

"He needs to walk, in order for him to get better." Steve said.

"He woke up a few days ago. Of course he's going to be weak." They moved along, "Here, into this room." Walking into the lab, the doctors around watched as they placed Bucky into a chair carefully, and Dr. Waters leaned down to look Bucky in the eyes. "You alright? Are you feeling okay?"

Bucky nodded, and she could hear him breathing heavy out of his nose even if he tried to hide it.

"Deep breaths," she said, and she turned to Steve, "What're you think you're doing? You could've injured him."

"Look, the only way to get him stronger is to get him on his feet. Leaving him in that room isn't doing anything for him physically, and definitely not socially."

"He just woke up _ days  _ ago. Do you not understand?" She stared, "Bucky is your friend, and I know that for sure, but he is also my patient, my responsibility, I see him medically and the way you see him as another human being. But that's just what he is, that's what we all are, and we have limits. Take it offensively, take it as a rude remark, but as far as I'm concerned right now - Bucky is my responsibility, and if you're posing as a unknowing health hazard to him I'm going need you to leave." She said, as she turned to a passing nurse asking for some tools and it came to her in request.

Steve stood leaned against an empty desk with his arms across his chest by the door as Dr. Waters carefully checked Bucky's blood pressure and temperature, ignoring Steve's stare, Bucky glanced at Dr. Waters as well and she couldn't ignore that one. He was sitting right in front of her closely. "I wanted to leave that room." He said quietly. "I don't like it."

"Well, I'm sorry Bucky, but it's the only thing I can offer you without you getting hurt."

"You mean get in the way?"

"No, I mean being questioned and talked about." She looked him in the eyes, "Out here, it's constant to move and people aren't afraid of what others have to say or think. They see you as a project, as some kind of first world human project that has no other meaning but that. They'll point, and ask questions. The feeling of being subjected to a misinterpreted judgement is worse than being accused of something. If you're out here, everyone will talk."

"There's been worse."

She wanted to feel bad for him, but instead of showing her pity she listened.

"There's been a lot worse," he said as she listened to his breathing with the stethoscope on his chest changing between lungs. "By now, I'm used to it."

"I would hope so. The feeling gets lonely."

"Sounds like you know it personally."

Dr. Waters looked him in the eyes, and glanced back down as she listened to his breathing with the scope on his back. "Deep inhale and exhale. Don't hold your breath." He did so, and she listened to the healthy inhale and exhale. "So, Steve," she said lowly to Bucky, "Is he always like that?"

"Always." He scoffed, giving a smirk. "Back then, I was the one looking out for him. The tables have turned."

She backed up, putting the stethoscope down, and sighed crossing her arms across her chest. "You're good for now, but I don't want you walking around anymore. If you need something, just ring the intercom. The button is by the bed."

He nodded.

She sighed, biting her lip, and looking at him with no idea of what to do. "Steve looks like he's willing to do anything for you. What if we got you a wheelchair? How would you feel about it in the meanwhile while we get everything together and get you on your feet?"

He looked indecisive about it, staring at the floor.

"It's in your best interest that you take this seriously. If you'd rather be without it and have Steve move around for you, if he's willing."

Bucky leaned back in the chair, giving a small exhale. "I don't know how I feel about it."

She pressed her lips together for a moment before inhaling, "Well, then until you make up your mind whether you like it or not we're calling in for a chair and you're going to use it."

He stared at her, furrowing his brow.

"There's somethings that should be done without question, believe me, this will help you." She said, grabbing her things, and looking to him again. "I'll be seeing you for lunch, I hope?"

He nodded, and she walked off. Steve not too far from approaching, he leaned against the desk looking to him.

"You alright?"

Bucky nodded, "Yeah."

"Look, I'm sorry -."

"Don't." Bucky said, "I wanted to leave, it was my choice."

Steve nodded, and looked around the room. "So, you're going to do this?"

"Yeah. I actually am," he scoffed, "It's pretty crazy."

"Hey, whatever helps you, I'm in on it." He patted Bucky's shoulder, "Till the end of the line."

Bucky smiled lightly, and looked around the room to see Dr. Waters looking over a document someone was holding out for her to see. She nodded and they walked off. "She's something."

Steve looked over his shoulder, "Sure is." He said stiffly. "Came from Brooklyn."

"Really?"

"I knew there was a fiery personality that was recognizable." He joked, "The Brooklyn chicks were nothing but stones."

"Guess they are." He chuckled. "Does she seem familiar to you at all, though?"

"No, why?"

He shrugged, "I feel like I've seen her before, could just be messed up in the head right now." He rubbed his eye, "Think I've been thinking the same about everyone here."

 

Steve furrowed his brow, looking to Dr. Waters, and wondering only getting more suspicious about her in that first day that they've met. He watched someone else walk over to Dr. Waters desk and show her a file, she looked to it, and nodded, and they walked off. She glanced to Steve, and as if she'd accidentally noticed she looked again. Dropping her gaze to her work, she glanced up one more time before turning to her work. Steve continued talking with Bucky, and when it was time for him to eat lunch, they'd found a wheel chair around and Steve pushed Bucky back to his room where they ate and Dr. Waters checked up on them occasionally. Keeping an eye on them, she'd got a few more papers done from other nurses and medicine doctor's files, keeping a busy mind.

 

A busy mind kept her from thinking about what Bucky had said, she didn't want to think of anything he had to say. Just because.


	6. Chapter 6

Dr. Waters was still there long after the last doctor had left, overlooking the files of a watch program for the Panthers in the forests around, there was a knock on the door. Looking up, Steve stood in the doorway leaning with his arms crossed. "Am I interrupting something?" He asked.

"No, you’re fine. Is everything alright?" She asked concerned.

"Yeah, Bucky’s fine. Just thought I’d come by."

She looked to her work, "Something on your mind?"

He paused.

Listening to the silence, she glanced up. "You alright?" She asked, furrowing her brow.

Steve glanced to the ground, "I think we started off on the wrong foot earlier."

"All is forgiven." She mumbled.

"No, not on my part." He said, pushing into the room but still staying by the door. "What was said, it was strictly business and nothing personal between us as people."

"Of course, everything I do is professional and always business. I hope I didn’t offend you in any way when I said those things." She said.

"You didn’t."

"Good."

"Did I offend you in any way?" He asked.

"No, you didn’t. I don’t even know what I was thinking in the moment anymore, I was just thinking about Bucky being safe and healthy."

"I was thinking the same thing." He sighed, and Dr. Waters found herself doing the same silently. "I guess we both just thought we were standing on the opposite sides of the fence all this time, when we were just standing on the same side with blind eyes."

She nodded, glancing over the desk, and then back over to Steve.

Clearing his throat, he furrowed his brow leaning against the wall beside the door. "So, about the procedure, how will this all go?"

"Well, assuming all will go well, and that there’s no complications with Bucky and the chip."

"Complications?"

"Health, I mean. If Bucky has pain in his ear or not, or if we’ll keep him on pain relievers until the pain stops or lessens. Nothing big."

He nodded listening.

"We’ll have a home for him ready, some place in hiding where the only road in is the same one out. Of course we’ve already thought of escape routes just in case, but the place will be safely excluded from the population and fenced off in a well-deserved acres distance." She crossed her arms over her chest, "We have a place in mind for you as well, but assuming you have a strong bond with him – I don’t think that you’d want to separate from him this early in."

"When would this happen?"

"Half a month after the procedure. Everything in that house is generated by itself, solar powered electric generator, water system running through it clearly, and everything up to date technology wise. It’s in the making at the moment, and soon we’ll have our people saying it’s ready to live in within two weeks."

He nodded slowly, and looked around the empty lab. "You’re the last one here?"

"Yeah. I just wanted to make sure there wasn’t any more things needed, I wanted to stay a little longer to make sure every ends met." She lied, she wanted to stay longer just in case Steve were to pull anything. "There’s some rooms here you can sleep in, the doors in the hall Bucky sleeps in is empty, you just need access to it. I’ll come with you. You could stay there meanwhile everything happens, and when it’s time to go you’re all set."

"Thank you."

She nodded, and stood. "I’ll show you the way." She said, going through the open door and bringing Steve along the way. She opened a door to a little smaller room, the large glass window overlooked part of the forest and the black sky above. Turning on the light, Steve stepped into the room. "I hope everything here’s good to your likings," she unlocked and locked the door, "Door locks, if you want, electricity works, the only problem is that the bathroom is down the way, and the shower is in a different section on the other side of the lab."

"It’s alright with me." He mumbled, and smiled lightly to her, "Thank you."

"You’re welcome, it’s the least I can do to make sure that Bucky feels comfortable. With you around, he’s going to do better. I already know it." Saying goodnight, she headed back down the hall and back to the lab. Instead of heading home, she stood the night making sure Steve didn’t make any moved to get Bucky out of there or touch anything he wasn’t supposed to. Logging into her computer, she safely input her flash drive and uploaded the file untraceable to the history system or computer itself.

Pulling up HYDRA’s records she’d gotten from SHIELD, she sent a message that she hadn’t done anything yet to Bucky. That he was still asleep. She didn’t tell them that they’d woken Bucky, and that they were going to start the project in order to keep Bucky sane and possibly erase the memory HYDRA ever put in his head.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aye, Ayh here! It's been a while since I've updated this long and hassle of a work, but I'd love to show you guys some more. So, enjoy. :)

Dr. Waters woke early morning with her head rested on the lab desk uncomfortably, going down to the market as it was opening as well and bought some local fruits, and came back to the lab. The guards who'd switched for the night shift standing guard. " _ Hello. _ " She said, picking out fruit from her bag to them. They said it back, and thanked her.

_ "The man from the ice , he 's alright?" _ Asked a guard.

" _ Yes. Are you worried ?"  _ She asked curiously.

_ "No, only about the people in our city. We've all heard that he was a killer _ ." Said one guard.

_ "Yes," _ said the other,  _ "I heard he killed his people, the same people in his gang." _

_ "You're wrong, you have heard from those who lie. He’s innocent, he did no such thing." _   She said defensively but keeping her tone down to normal.

_ "Would you lie to us?"  _ Asked the guard.

She paused,  _ "No." _

They nodded _ , "Alright, then, head on your way." _

She nodded to them, going through the doors, and didn't glance back until she was just about turning out of sight. Heading towards the lab, she glanced in before hearing voices down the hall. She moved slowly, the only people being in the building would be Steve, Bucky, the security officers, and now her. Peeking around a corner she could see officers speaking with each other in Zulu, they spoke lowly, as if secret. She could only hear little words they spoke in broken dialect.

_ "Yes,... Here. I’m ensuring you... They'll be very happy." _

_ They'll be very happy _ , who will be very happy? They dispersed and she stepped away from the corner to hide around another, the footsteps disappeared and she went out into the hall where they'd just been standing. The personnel only area just down the hall where they looked, where Bucky and Steve stood. Glancing around, the camera in the corner could see her and she could see it. She'd have to get up there sometime just to see what they were up to. Accessing into the hall, the doors closed behind her, and she walked down the lab hall and dorm.

Knocking on Bucky's door lightly, she heard no response. It's early morning, too early to be awake she concluded. Slowly opening the room door, she looked in on Bucky sleeping with the blanket pulled up to his chest with his arm around the pillow. Moving quietly into the room, she set her bag on the bookshelves and moved over to the large windows. Early morning was beautiful, peaceful, and definitely nothing to miss. Standing there a moment, she thought of that plutonium shipment that would be coming in soon to make Bucky a new arm. It should be coming in sooner than the operation would be set, to craft and test the arm properly based on Tony Stark's suit inventions. She'd snag a few ideas, but in all it'd all be brand new.

"Do you normally walk into people's rooms when they sleep?"

She turned to Steve standing in the doorway, he whispered lightly so that he didn't wake Bucky.

"Just checking up on him. And envying him," she looked to the window, "He has the best view in the whole building." She scoffed.

Steve lightly chuckled, stepping into the room, and walking over to snag a cup of coffee from Bucky's machine. He offered her one silently and she declined, "Any new information on the operation?"

"Well," She looked to the window as Steve walked up while the cup of coffee brewed quietly. "A load of plutonium is being shipped in soon, we're planning on constructing a new arm for Bucky. It's a little weaker than what it was originally made of, vibranium, but it'll do."

"Vibranium is what was used to construct my shield."

"I guess." She said blankly. "Where did your shield ever go? I never see it."

"I gave it back to an old friend." He said solemnly.

She nodded, and the room filled with silence as the machine stopped and their talking ceased. "We could make you another." She suggested, "It won't be better, but it's all just the same. After all, who's Captain America without his shield and suit?"

Steve smiled, "I think my Captain days are over, I need a little vacation."

"I think we all need one. I can understand, it gets rough and it wears you down - all the people you save aren't quite enough like all the people you didn't."

Steve looked at her, looking like he'd just been shot.

"Sorry. I just -," she shook her head, "It happened to me once. Don't like to talk about it. I'm sorry."

"No, it's alright." He said.

She moved away from the window, and noticed Bucky shuffling awake. He blinked his eyes and noticed the two there, his lips quirked up a bit in the morning haze. "Good morning." Dr. Waters said.

"Morning." He stretched, slowly sitting up. He noticed Steve there too, "Morning, punk."

Steve chuckled, walking over, and pushing his shoulder a bit.

"How're you feeling? Got enough sleep?" Dr. Waters asked handing Steve's cup out, and Steve took a sip of the just right coffee. Shutting up and doing nothing but drinking it, he enjoyed the sweet tasting coffee.

"Yeah." He mumbled, fixing his hair.

"Hungry?" Dr. Waters asked, holding out the bag she'd picked up on the way. "Brought some things from the market."

"Starving." He said, looking in and holding out a peach to Steve before doing anything else with himself. He offered one to her, and she declined.

"The first person will be back here in an hour, and then the place will be flooded. The lab's a mess." She headed towards the door.

"I could help you."

She stopped in the door to look at Bucky sympathetically. "Thanks, but I think I've got this on my own. It's my mess."

"No problem." He shrugged, holding out the bag and Steve took it knowing the routine instantly. "Better than sticking around here." He mumbled as Steve slid the wheelchair from out under the bed, Bucky gave it a look, and exhaled as he settled in slowly with some of Steve's help.

Holding open the door, they went down the hall and into the lab. She fixed up the files before any of them could get a look at the SHIELD symbol on the front, and let them finish off the rest. Moving about, they settled by her desk, and she looked over his health again. Temperature, blood pressure, eyes, heartbeat, breathing, all physical. When the first doctor came in, it was a colleague and he smiled passing them to her.

"Good morning Dr. Waters." He said, glancing to Steve and Bucky momentarily.

"Good morning." She said, and glanced to Steve and Bucky. "Geoff, this is Steve Rogers and James Barnes."

Dr. Geoff shook their hands, and gestured to Buck. "Not to be rude, but - you're the one who's been in the cryotube all this time, right?"

Bucky nodded, "Yeah, I was."

"Well, it's a pleasure meeting you finally." He looked to Steve, "And you look quite familiar."

"Steve Rogers. Captain America."

Geoff nodded slowly this time, "It’s an honor Mr. Rogers."

Steve nodded back, and Geoff's stiff tone lingered in the air.

"Well, I better get to work."

"What's it for today?" Dr. Waters asked as he walked to his white desk across the room.

"Gecko. But not just any -  _ Homopholis Fasciata _ . Supposedly they'd been travelling west, now they're here from the east. I have to go check some out, and get some. Hopefully bring them back to where they came from after testing’s done."

"Testing?" Steve questioned.

"When we find species here that generally travelled from another county or place we run tests to see their health, maybe it was a predatory thing or just migration, but we make sure it's healthy enough to head back out into its habitat." Dr. Waters said and Geoff nodded. "By the way, I hear they bite when you squeeze too hard. Bring a guide with you, or a wildlife instructor."

"Will do." He said, sitting, and going at his computer.

"You said about the truck coming in?" Steve questioned and it grabbed Geoff's attention, he listened.

"Truck?" Bucky furrowed his brow.

"Breakfast, anyone? Geoff? I'm going to make what we have in the pantry, oatmeal?"

"No thanks." Geoff said.

Dr. Waters stood, "You said you were hungry. Oatmeal will be good for you." She put the bag of fruit back into Bucky's lap, and walked around to push and pull his chair. "Steve, mind opening the door? Geoff, you sure about the food? You're going to need it for the trek."

"I'm fine."

"Alright." Pushing out of the door, Steve followed, and she moved silently through the halls past the cameras and audio systems.

"What was that about?" Bucky asked, glancing behind him to Dr. Waters.

"Grown adults need to eat." She said passing a camera and sliding her card to get through to the small dining hall. The doors opened, and Steve followed nonetheless.

"Dr. Waters, stop." Steve commanded, and she slowed but didn't stop. "I said stop."

The only thing caught in the next surveillance camera shot was Bucky looking back to what was behind him, Steve's shoulder in the shot. "We can't talk in the open." She whispered, going to move, and he stopped her by grabbing her arm. Instead of grabbing the chair, she held onto Bucky's shoulder. "The truck is coming. But it's secretive. No one knows but the king and the people who're working on Bucky."

"You're not doing the surgery?" Steve asked quietly.

"I'm not a surgeon, I've told you before. I'm a supervisor to the surgery, and only that. If you want to speak about this, I suggest you move naturally and follow to the kitchen." She turned, pushing the chair along with Bucky in it and brushed her hair behind her ear.

Moving along towards the kitchen, she scanned her card, and Steve pushed open the door for them. Going inside, the cameras and recordings were out of sight and gone. Settling into the room, she sat down as she ran the hot water, and opened a packet of oatmeal.

"There's a truck coming in soon this week overnight, it's filled with enough plutonium to make a suit of armor but we don't need a suit of armor we just need an arm. We thought we should ask, but we just went ahead and ordered some. The idea is to attach the arm while you're in surgery, killing two birds with one stone we'd get it done and finished with." She leaned against the counter, "It would need a little time to mold it, and get it properly moving, but we're giving it a week."

"A week? The surgery in a week?" Bucky said.

"If we're going to do this right, we need some time to evaluate every possible outcome and idea." She said, "We want what's best for the situation."

"Why couldn't you say it in front of your pal?" Steve asked.

She remained quiet, "Security measures." She partially lied, "We can't have anyone blabbing about the stuff getting here, it's practically illegal."

"Illegal." Steve scoffed. "Was it not run by the king?"

"It was, just not the arm part. We said we'd need it to construct a new chip, a stronger one, while we can do that - there's no point. He asked what metal, not how much we needed. Subtext should've been important to him."

"You rigged the king?" Bucky scoffed, smirking.

"I didn't rig him, he just didn't ask the right questions. Besides, it's better in our hands than anyone else's." She said, turning to put in some hot water and waited for it to soak. "Aside from that, I offered into making Steve a new shield since he gave the old one back to a friend."

"He's not a friend." Bucky said strictly.

Dr. Waters turned, and looked confused. "I'm sorry, I'm just going by what he said. I'm sorry if I offended anyone."

"It's alright." Steve said, and Bucky's expression never changed from offensive.

"Well then," she turned to her cup, "Plutonium is a smidge less than the older vibranium, but we could give it a try."

"I don't need one." Steve said.

"But you could use one again." Bucky said, looking up at him. "I mean, this one would be yours."

"I know. But what would I use it for? I can't fight anymore."

"Can't or won't?"

"Won't."

The two went quiet, and Dr. Waters quietly ate her food carefully.

"Dr. Waters," Bucky looked to her, and she mumbled in acknowledging, "Make him a shield."

She nodded lightly, having another spoonful.

"Whatever he says to contradict it, don't listen to him and make it."

She watched as she saw Steve look at Bucky in shock and loss, this man he'd trust and probably leaned his life on entirely once a long time ago and now was still the person he looked up to, and Bucky knew what he needed and wanted without even having to say anything. She could see their strong bond and willingness to do anything for each other, and she couldn't be any more amazed about how such a story came to be. Did she envy their strength together? Yes. Did she want to see them separated to see how strong their bond really was like everyone else did? Surprisingly - no. Because if they were a part, they would be weak without each other to lean on, strongest together, she wouldn't want them a part even if Destiny and Fate declared them away from each other.


	8. Chapter 8

"Dr. Waters," Bucky called as she was folding the wheelchair under his bed. "How come you didn't tell me about the arm sooner?"

"I didn't get the time to, really. It was a sort of flop idea, I didn't think people would actually listen to me and get me these things."

"Well, it seems to me you have a following."

"Is that good or bad?" She asked, crossing the room to the bottled water she'd left there and some vitamin supplements in hand.

"I don't know, which do you think it is?" He took the pills in hand, and then the water.

"I think a following is good, but an army is bad."

He lowered the cup, "Do you think all armies are bad?"

"It depends," she swayed, "Have they tried to save the lives of as many innocents as they can or did they let them die in fear of their own lives being sacrificed?" She took the empty cup back, "A good soldier listened to orders, but a good human follows what they believes is right - no matter the consequences of their own life." She turned, putting the bag of fruit on the bed as well as bottle.

"You know, Steve envied you."

She furrowed her brow, "Why?"

"He says it's because you've managed to find something to fix me in such little time when he couldn't."

"It's not something to gloat about."

"No, but it's something he's been wishing for. A way to fix me."

"Well, Bucky, there's nothing to fix. Believe it or not, it's all in your head. You just don't remember how to control it, this will help you remember and gain that strength back." She smiled, putting her hand on his arm. "How's the arm by the way? Any discomfort lately?" She sat down, looking at the pale flesh of his shoulder covered by metal.

"No, not really. Haven't really thought about it."

"Do you think you would feel uncomfortable with having weight back on this side? If so, we could have other plans -."

"No, that won't be necessary. Thing is - I hate getting help because I can't hold something with both hands. Metal or not."

"Don't worry, everyone experiences it with a sprain or injury. We all hate it, but we don't say anything because we're too kind to reject others."

"It's not that."

"Then what is it?"

Outside the cracked open door, Steve neared to interrupt but listened instead.

"The only person who'd do anything for me is Steve."

"I don't see why that's so bad, he's worried for your well-being."

"Well, sometimes I just want to do things on my own. I hate to say no to the guy, he's the best person you'd ever meet, and saying no to him is like saying no to the world."

"He'd understand, I'm sure."

"He'll just look at you with those sad eyes, and he'll take it too personal."

"I bet he understands that everyone has limits."

"Not him, he's the same kid from Brooklyn. The one who never backed down from a fight, no matter the chances."

Steve leaned against the wall, pressing a small smile into his face, and leaned his head back.

"He's the craziest guy I'd ever met because he never gives up, even if he annoys you. He grows on you, whether you like it or not, he sticks with you," he looked to Dr. Waters, "Till the end of the line, he's there."

Steve smiled, coiling his hands.

"There's no one better than him."

Dr. Waters stood up soon after, reminding him about lunch, and the arm shipping coming in that week sometime. Collecting herself, she closed the door and looked down the empty halls. Following back to her office, she didn't know Steve remained around the corner watching her disappear.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aye, Ayh here! Thought I'd update, I've really been trying to put this book to an end and am working on it. In the meanwhile, enjoy the updates and comment down below what you think will happen in the next chapters. :) Enjoy.

" _ Let's begin _ ." Said the video on screen, Dr. Waters watched as Bucky in confinement of the UN until the end. The rolling surveillance, the sound cut off, the black out - then nothing. When the cameras were back online the chamber was empty and Bucky nowhere to be found. Then him and Steve disappeared from the world's sight.

Hanging her head, she closed her eyes. She couldn't let that happen again: the murders, the people, the children. She rubbed her eyelids in circles and gave a sigh, closing the file, she pulled the flash drive from it's port and pocketed it.

Geoff soon coming in. "Hey." He said, "You're in late."

"As usual."

"Why're you still here? I thought the guy could care on his own."

"He can, I just stay in case there's any emergency."

"Of what kind?"

"Any really."

"Listen, how about you head home and I'll watch out for him?" He said, and she politely declined.

"As kind as that is I really thank you for your offer, but I feel safer if I were here. I may not be a councilor but at least it's worth something."

He nodded, moving to his desk. "What'cha planning on doing with him? Why's he still here anyways?"

"We have to keep him stabilized until we get an okay from the king." She lied.

"So, You're just babysitting?"

"Pretty much."

"Doesn’t that bother you?"

"I don't mind."

"But really, come on, you don't believe that for a second."

"Really, I don't. I like helping him, he's special and a good person."

"Not what everyone else says."

"You know what's behind that. That wasn't him."

"Just like OJ Simpson didn't murder all those people." Dr. Waters glared at him, and he stared. "I'm just stating what's been done, and what should be done."

"And what's that?"

"Give him to the UN, he's safer with them."

"They'll put him through trial before finding out what to do with him."

"And maybe that's good."

"I'm not going to sit here and take notes from an amateur."

"And what do you suppose you are?"

"A human being seeing another human being as he is!"

"You've become too developed into this project. You're too attached." He stood from his desk grabbing his things, "If T'Challa knew what was good for him he'd have someone else on the job than a woman. What did he expect from you?" Leaving the room, Dr. Waters stood seated at her desk.

A light knocking tapped on the door, and she sighed. "What?" She hissed.

"Is this a bad time?"

Turning, she met Steve eye to eye. Giving a sigh, she turned back to the desk. "No. What -," she inhaled, speaking normal, "What is it you need?"

Steve pointed to the door, "I kind of - witnessed that whole fight thing. You alright?"

"Just peachy." She smiled softly in loss. "I've been on this little expedition for two years, two years anticipating this moment, the moment he woke up. I didn't realize how much trouble it would be just to sit there and worry about him. I don't think I've cared so much about someone in my life who was just a figment of imagination before this." Leaning back in her chair, she watched Steve walk over and lean himself against her desk.

"Was it really that hard?"

"What?"

"To watch over him?"

"When there was a threat of anyone possibly getting in and taking him or hurting him, I felt like a mother duck."

Steve chuckled. "The life of a parent is hard, so I've heard." He looked to her desk he sat on, and pushed the folders back so he could settle a little more. "But maybe it gets better."

"It will, but for the moment, living in the moment, it's so stressful." She waved, "Never mind, forget what I said."

"No, it's understandable. You're under stress because you're the one who has to have the final say in what passes and what doesn't. It doesn't come easy."

She nodded, leaning forward to look to the time. "It's getting late, people are going to start coming in. I have to contact the people bringing in the shipment from the north."

"North?"

"There's land between two forests, a small portion above it. There's where we found the metal."

"How'd you know it was plutonium?"

"A miner knew the metal from before, same look, same feel, he said people had come along to steal it sometime before. Some Russians and Sokovians. He didn't tell them about it."

"How could you trust him?"

"Because he's a poor man on the skirts of Wakanda with nothing but a wife and two children, he gives everything to his kids than to himself. What does he have to lose but them? If his life were on the line and he had to tell where it was, he wouldn't tell a word."

"How'd he trust you?"

"I gave him a deal. I build him a home and food, he gives me the coordinates to the dig site. We found the plutonium and gave things to those who helps, they were more than grateful."

"It's a generous thing you do for them."

"I believe in equality, if I built you a ship then the least thing you could do for me is to say thank you."

He smiled lightly, and stood up. "I should be going then. Get Bucky up and get him eating and working."

Dr. Waters nodded, and turned to her desk.

"Doctor?"

"Yeah?" She looked back.

He furrowed his brow, "All these years, all this time, and you've kept him safe. Other people would've turned him in or killed him, why didn't you?"

She stared, "I had a job, and I needed to do it right. I'd give my life and soul before I'd let anything happen to him in there, I swore an oath to do so."

"By whose orders?"

"By yours." She said, "I didn't know you much, but I knew that you'd stop at nothing to keep him safe. You just couldn't do it because you were a dead man walking under the radar of SHIELD and the UN, and you needed to hide. When he needed you most, you couldn't be there for your own protection. When you weren't there, I was there. I only acted how I thought anyone would to someone they cared, they'd search endlessly for answers until there was one. Even when there wasn't a single thought." Staring at him, she pressed her lips together.

He nodded slowly, and stood up from leaning on the door frame assured. Turning away, she looked back to her desk. Going to type at her computer, she looked to the files and paused. Her SHIELD file stuck out from the others showing half the insignia, but hidden enough. She looked to the door, and back again. He glanced to the table, did he see it? Does he know? Will he trust her again? Sitting there, she stuffed the folders safely into the desk and sat thinking. Maybe he didn't, but then again - what if he saw it? What if he planned on taking Bucky away from there quickly because she was a part of SHIELD? The community of spies he was trying to stay away from. She couldn't let that happen.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aye, Ayh here! It's been a while since an update and this week I can actually catch up on things and focus on my health and stuff. I really like to lay back and watch out for myself so naps are an essential this week, I can't wait for the endless naps and cups of coffee and writing sessions. Enjoy this little spree of chapters I'm going to post, I'm slacking on this story so I guess there's going to be a span of some time between updates. :) Enjoy.

Moving through the halls, Dr. Water overlooked a few projects that people wanted her advice on. Whether it be neuroscience, computer help, or even small dosages and measures of food or chemicals. Moving along towards the front desk on her break, Ms. Gonsalves caught her. "Oh, Dr. Waters, there's a message for you." She held out an ordinary letter, but she instantly started to visually inspect it.

"Does it say from who?"

"A _ Tony?" _

Dr. Waters took the letter, looking down at it, and smiled. "Thank you." Waving with it in her hand, she pointed behind her. "I'll be back in thirty minutes. Contact me if anything." She said.

"Yes Dr. Waters."

Walking out, she tucked it into her pockets as the guards turned to look at her. " _ Leaving so soon?" _

_ "No, I’ll be back though." _

_ "Where to?" _

_ "Home again, forgot something."  _ She lied, giving a small wave she headed down the path towards her car hidden in the small road of bushes and trees. Getting in, she drove down the hidden road and carefully out. Into the secluded room, she pulled out the letter putting it down on the dashboard, and glanced at it as she drove.

"Dear Ms. Waters," it read, "For the past month you've asked me to submit you designs of my suits under SHIELD's authority, but in all respect, I cannot go around handing out the mechanics. If you really are concerned, set up a meeting with me and I will overlook your request. My designs are mine, and mine only. SHIELD, no matter what they're doing, doesn't have right over it. Speak with the United Nations, I'll be hearing from you soon I'm guessing. Persistency isn't the best trait. Sincerely, Tony Stark."

Sitting back in her car, she sighed. Parked on the side of an empty road between the lab and the town, she closed her eyes rubbing her temples, and put the letter aside. "If I'm asking you over letter I don't have time for a meeting, I thought that was good enough." She mumbled to herself as she shifted into drive, and continued on her way towards the town. Rolling down the window to a man leaning against a building, she waved him over, and he came.  _ "Where’s the Train?"  _ She asked, code worded _ The Train _ , the plutonium truck would come in that week. The sooner the better.

_ "It’s around in the forest now, they had to take the long route to assure that it arrived safely."  _ He said lowly.

"The forest?" She mumbled, thinking _. "You’ve had communication with them through the radio?"  _ He nodded, gesturing back to the building she thought to be his home.

_ "Good, keep them in range. Keep me updated."  _ She said, reaching into her back seat and holding out a small bag. He took it, looking in, and nodded with vigorous thank you's. Driving away slowly, she turned back towards the lab roads and a few men on their bikes followed only for a small distance. Harmlessly, they turned around and she continued along the road. Turning back into the dirt road that remained hidden and parked her car, she returned back along the path, and saw the two guards. Nodding to them, she walked past them and into the lab. Smiling to Ms. Gonsalves, and down the hall back towards the lab she could see Steve walking along as he pushed Bucky past the large windows overlooking the vast skyline to forest. Smiling as she approached, Bucky looked up at her. "Good afternoon boys."

Steve nodded, pressing his lips tightly together in a thin lipped smile and Bucky smiled. "Good afternoon," he said.

"Why're you two feeling about an early expedition tomorrow morning?"

"Expedition?"

"Yeah, I figured a little outside time wouldn't do anyone harm. A travel through the town maybe? A little home sightseeing?"

Bucky furrowed his brow, and looked at her confused.

"I think Steve should explain that to you, I think he should explain everything to you. You seem to understand more from him than the words out of my mouth, it's a normal thing. No one really understands what I say."

"No, it's not that, it’s just that whenever there's something important said I'm just never there to hear it." He said in an off tone, sounding sarcastically hurt.

Dr. Waters ignored it and continued on, "Well, since everything's been going good with you, I think that we'll start going into practice procedures. To get the nurses into position and ease into it quickly when the job is official."

"How long would that take?"

"Well, the official procedure should take up to forty five minutes safely. But the local anesthesia will last up to the next hour, after that we'll be having you taking pain relievers in order to ease the pain of the surgery. It'll hurt a bit, but not much. We're constructing a smaller one, and it's almost finished."

"You seem to have a lot of unfinished things around here." Steve commented.

"Excuse me?"

"Nothing, just mumbling."

Dr. Waters nodded, staring at him a little while longer thinking about the files. "So, Buck, do you think you're up for it? Do you want to do it or would you rather just go into the procedure the day of?"

"If doing the practice makes it easier and safer."

"Believe me, either way is fine, I'm just making sure you're comfortable with that. I wouldn't have just anyone do this on you, I'm making sure that the best is there and if not I'll do it myself." She scoffed, giving a smile. "Rain check on it?"

He nodded, and she nodded back.

"Have you two eaten yet?"

"Yeah, we have." Steve said. "Geoff went on a run and got some things for everyone."

"Geoff?" She came to a slow halt. "He got you two things?"

They nodded, and she kept her smile that seemed to peel off at the ends.

"That's good, at least I'm not the only one helping out around here." She smiled falsely, and clasped her hands together. "Do you two need anything at the moment? Anything you wanted to ask?"

Bucky shook his head, "Not that I could think of." He said.

Steve grabbed a hold of Bucky's wheelchair, and nodded to her. "We're all fine here, thanks." He said stiffly, pushing Bucky along like an accessory around her. Watching the two move along the hall, she could see Bucky glance over his shoulder to her and she sighed.

She may have blown her cover.

Not only that but she's allowing other people, other people who're not involved in the project, to intervene with her patients. Having other plans set in mind, she'd have a talk with Geoff. Something was off about him that she couldn't trust, not after the argument they'd had the night before. Getting back to work, helping others out with their own and having time for herself, she constantly glanced over to Geoff's desk where he moved about looking into microscopes and writing down notes. Not once did he notice her, or at least she would have thought so. When he walked out of the room with a manila folder, she excused herself from the not so intriguing conversation about the microbiology of their native Acacia shrubs and followed down the hall keeping a good eye on him. He walked out to the front desk handing Ms. Gonsalves the file and started coming back, hiding around a corner until he passed, she came out of hiding.

"Geoff."

He turned, "Oh, Dr. Waters." He said flatly, "Good afternoon."

She nodded, "Can I speak with you for a moment?"

"I really can't linger, I have work to do." He turned.

"One moment doesn't take up the entire day."

He paused, and turned back to her slowly again. "What is it?"

"I'd like to have a word with you alone please." She said, moving along the hall towards a hall nearby the rooms where Steve and Bucky stood but not close enough. She turned to him, and he stopped crossing his arms over his chest.

"Make this quick please."

"Oh, please, where do you have to go that's so important?" She furrowed her brow.

"You have your job, and I have mine. I think you should make better choices to keep yours."

She scoffed, "I'm irreplaceable here, unlike some others."

"You keep thinking that."

She took a breath, and then spoke again. "What're you doing?"

"What?"

"What are you doing going around speaking with my patient?"

"What? Making acquaintances is a crime now?"

"You know what I mean." She said deeply, "Just yesterday you were going around saying I wasn't fit for it, and now you're going around like I need help."

"You do need help." He towered closer, "You out of all people know you need help, maybe it's a mental thing of yours but you have a lot of nerve questioning everyone else and pointing fingers when you should be pointing fingers at yourself sometimes. What are you doing here every night when everyone leaves? What's so important that you have to stay here until the morning?"

"I have business here, my patient is my business."

"Last time I checked, he's doing quite well without you around. You're doing nothing more than dragging him down to his grave, you're playing God with the devil."

She pointed her finger at him, "Don't you dare call him the devil. He's done nothing, and you know that. That was not him." She said with such venom to not even compare than a snake, more than one.

"Then who was it? His twin brother? You know where he belongs, behind bars. Put him there, or I will."

"Don't you dare touch him."

"That's the thing about you women, you do nothing but love and fix things. You mess with things that don't need to be fixed, dependent on men for everything. You're weak, let the men do the job, and stay out of the picture."

"I would die before I let you do anything higher than me." She snarled, "I majored in Biopsychology, Physiology, Computer Science, and Molecular and Cognitive Neuroscience. I didn't major in them to have some man tell me what to do, I wrote my own life story then and I'm writing it now. You don't get to tell me how to do it."

"And you get to tell me what to do?"

"I'm giving you a warning, stay away from him."

"Dr. Waters, I think you pose a higher threat to him than I do." He dropped his arms from his chest, "Rethink your life choices before attacking someone who's already made up theirs." He started down the slight empty hall, "After all, you are replaceable. Just goes to show who's really thinking with their head, and not with their emotions. You're not a good doctor, you've taken more lives than saved." Leaving her with that, she stood in the hall staring blankly at where he'd left. Clenching her fists tightly with a burning anger, she didn't know who to target it to more. Geoff or herself?

Storming off and out of the hall, Steve stepped out of hiding watching her turn the corner. Exhaling slowly, he stepped back into his hall and quickly to Bucky's room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hate Geoff, I don't know who I based him off of (considering all my characters are based off of someone in my life or someone who's related to my life). He just has this unappealing evil aura. Eh. Do you agree?


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy. :)

Late in the night when everyone had left, Dr. Waters sat at her computer inputting some side project she'd been helping out with. Not only have the panthers stalked closer to the lab and the little towns, but they'd been multiplying with no other predator but themselves. Focused on the document she'd been writing, an email popped up. Clicking on the file, it read " **Subject: -** ", _ blank?  _ Contemplating, she opened it and there stood a small message.

**Subject:**

**From: W**

**To: Dr.A.Waters**

**Message:**

**I hope you find everything that you needed. -W**

__

Staring at the message, there was an attachment file. Clicking on it, the screen when black a moment. Worried Dr. Waters pressed the keyboard and the screen lit up again, in milliseconds of time several windows opened up of blueprints and diagrams of unknown drawings and wiring. Then it came to her - they were diagrams for the arm. When the downloading stopped, she quickly pulled out her flash drive from the desk and input to download everything into her flash drive. As it did so, she pulled up a compost message to the unknown email to try and retrace it.

**Subject:**

**From: Dr.A.Waters**

**To: W**

**Message:**

**Who are you? How did you get these? Why did you give them to me?**

Sitting back and staring at the diagrams of the suits of Tony's, she covered her mouth overlooking several of them. Shaking her head, she laughed lightly and closed the windows that looked of no use. Leaving out several wiring diagrams, metal shifting pieces, and arm sculpted diagrams, she quickly wrote down what was important, discarding the rest, and closed them as she went. When she finally came back to the email page, she stared at the new email.

**Subject:**

**From: W**

**To: Dr.A.Waters**

**Message:**

**A friend. All you need to know is that you have to hurry, there's still some time left.**

No time? She quickly responded back.

**Subject:**

**From: Dr.A.Waters**

**To: W**

**Message:**

**** **No time for what? What's going to happen? I need to know, I have procedures I have to follow, and I can't dance with shadows like you. Who are you?**

__

There came a vague answer minutes later.

**Subject:**

**From: W**

**To: Dr.A.Waters**

**Message:**

**They're planning something big, keep clear of all threats. Trust no one. Build what you need quickly, but make sure to leave no evidence behind of these documents, they'll be watching you.**

Staring blankly and unsure, she answered back.

**Subject:**

**From: Dr.A.Waters**

**To: W**

**Message:**

**Does that mean I can't trust you?**

There came no reply, not then, and not in the next hour. Putting it aside, she logged out and put her flash drive into her pocket safely, she put the drawn and written notes into her folder. Picking it up, she turned for the door with them in her hand and froze. Steve had just walked up to the door, and he glanced to her then to her folders and back again. The SHIELD insignia on one of the folders he'd seen her put into the stack. She smiled wryly.

"Steve, I didn't think you were still up. It's late." She said.

He nodded, looking at her suspiciously. "Yeah, it is. What're you doing still here then?"

She shrugged, "Just finishing up some work, I was just heading out for a bit. I was going to come back, I still have somethings left to square up." Starting for the door, she could see him leaning in the middle of the doorway a little more, blocking her in. She cleared her throat, "Was there something you needed?"

He looked down to her files, "Are those Bucky's files?"

She looked down at them, "No, they're someone else's. I'm doing side projects in the mean while we're waiting for the plutonium truck and everything. So." She trailed off, going for the door again and he crossed his arms over his chest making the doorway harder to leave through. She looked up at him, "Is there something wrong?"

He stared at her, "You know, Dr. Waters, I'm starting to question your liability."

"Question?"

"It seems like you've been hiding things."

She choked up, but would not submit to the pressure. "I don't keep secrets."

"Everyone has secrets." He said, "The questions is - how many secrets can you hold back before someone catches you for it?"

She sharpened her shoulders, standing a bit taller to look intimidating. "You can point your finger at me as long and as much as you want, I'm not the antagonist here!"

"Well, it's starting to feel like you are." He stared down at her, "So why don't you let me see those files and I'll see if I can trust you or not."

"What're you trying to prove? That I'm some kind of traitor?"

"Are you?"

"No!"

"Then let me see them."

Slowly, she inhaled and held them out. He took them in hand and looked through every one of them quickly, seeing nothing even remotely wrong or just seeing test samples of plants, dirt, and written shorthand on documented wildlife he closed them and held it back out. She took them in hand, "Happy now?"

"Not quite." He said, stepping out of the way, he allowed her along. "I still have my growing suspicions about you."

Passing him and the lab door closing, she glanced over her shoulder to him watching her and walking towards the front desk hall until he'd finally started walking off. Giving out a sigh of relief, she simply flipped the middle folder between the four around and the SHIELD insignia shown, in-between several pages of plants and Earth were the scattered pages of the bionic arm he'd neglected to actually notice. Getting to her car, she began driving back home in the darkness of the roads. Getting there, she quickly unraveled the removable floorboard in the closet and place down the folder of SHIELD alongside the ready to leave backpack, and other agent things. Going over to the radio receiver she had in her room to the empty frequency, she picked up the receiver.

_ "This is Waters, do you copy?"  _ She asked, waiting for any answer back on the radio. She asked again, sitting on the bed, and waiting for a reply. It didn't come until minutes later.

_ "I’m here, I’m here. Waters, you need something?"  _ Said a voice on the other end, she quickly grabbed the receiver.

_ "Where is The Train? Is it set?"  _ The location of the truck of plutonium is vital, no one but her can get that truck. If anyone else gets their hands on it, there would be big trouble. She couldn't trust a commoner, not after that email sent to her.

_ "Far wood." _

_ Far wood _ . The pick-up spot _. "Are you sure?" _

_ "Yes." _ He said _ , "On my life."  _ He promised.

_ "Thank you."  _ She sighed in relief after the radio station went dead, and she flopped on her back closing her eyes.

After all the stress, after all the preparation, the truck was ready at her disposal and they would be doing the surgery in less than a week if they got the mechanics and everything ready. She's not an engineer but she's a computer scientist, she's good enough for the job but she couldn't leave Bucky and Steve to the possibility of getting hurt or lost in the crossfire between these unknown attackers and her, this was her fight and she was willing to give her life to keep it that way. She would create this arm, she would implant the chip, she would give him new life - she would save at least one person more than what she could before. All those accidents, all those deaths, she could fix if she just got this one person right for once. She felt it in her heart that if she did, she could forgive herself for all the mistakes and things she'd done. Taking several breaths she felt like she'd been holding in for what was years, she felt like she could breathe again, like she wasn't living under the pressure or weight of anything anymore.

But that feeling wouldn't stay for long, she knew this.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy. :)

The next morning when Dr. Water came in, she had one thing on her mind and that was the truck coming in. Or her going out to the truck, but she couldn't move any further in the idea without telling Bucky and Steve. She couldn't have their trust severed than it already has been, if Steve doesn't trust her then he must always have Bucky on his side. They're always the same way. Heading down the hall, through the checkpoints, she walked into the lab room and a few passing scientists smiled to her as she passed their desks. Coming up to her desk, she logged in and the first thing she saw was the email. Glancing around, she leaned in and opened it.

**Subject:**

**From: W**

**To: Dr.A.Waters**

**Message:**

**News is going around about people making plans tonight. They plan on taking what you need the most to make things right. You need to make sure no one else gets their hands on those plans, if they do, there will be big consequences. -W**

She quickly replied back, making sure to carefully look around before continuing every time.

**Subject:**

**From: Dr.A.Waters**

**To: W**

**Message:**

**How do you know about tonight? How does anyone know about tonight? There's only a few people working.**

Quick to close the window, she looked around carefully and went back to looking through her files of everything else. Looking to the email, there was a new sent one.

**Subject:**

**From: W**

**To: Dr.A.Waters**

**Message:**

**All you need to know is that if anyone gets there hands on anything you've been working on getting, there's going to be a big hypocenter of chaos. You need to come up with a plan and fast, they're planning everything to the last minute. You have to be ready for anything. Even if it means hurting someone to get it back. -W**

She answered back.

**Subject:**

**From: Dr.A.Waters**

**To: W**

**Message:**

**I won't hurt anyone. Not anymore.**

There came an instant reply

**Subject:**

**From: W**

**To: Dr.A.Waters**

**Message:**

**Not everything goes the way you want it to. -W**

Closing the window, she sat there a moment gnawing on the edge of her short cut nails. Locking the computer, she gathered the things she'd brought and moved along to the door. Going down the hall towards the sleeping quarters, she hoped the two were still around there. It was late morning, close to noon, but anyone could be up at this time from the moving noise around the corner. Going to Bucky's door first, she knocked and waited. Glancing over to Steve's door, she paused. Walking over, she gave a knock and waited. This time, the door came open and Steve looked her back in the eyes.

"I have news. Good news." She said, and surely enough he pushed aside and she could see Bucky sitting at the table with a book out from the small bookshelf there. Uninteresting science books, but she guessed he liked them. "Good, you're both here."

"What's up?" Bucky asked when Steve closed the door.

She put down her things on the table, "I got news last night about the plutonium truck being in the area, it's ready to be used."

Steve and Bucky looked to each other in some sort of shock, then looked back to her. "You're serious?"

She nodded, "I contacted the people who worked on getting it here and they said it was Far wood. Far wood means it's up north just in the forest on the other side."

"In the forest? I thought there were no roads in the forest." Steve said.

"There are, there just isn't a map to say there is." She looked between the two, "Once we get that truck, we can start crafting your shield and your arm. Given the end of the week, we can finish the project and have you fixed in no time."

Bucky seemed shell shocked.

"Wait, how can you be sure it's not some cover up?" Steve asked, "What if it's a trap?"

"It's not."

"How do you know?"

"Because I know, I have reliable sources about it."

Steve nodded slowly, not trusting it the slightest bit. "And how are you going to go out there and walk in here with a huge crate of plutonium?"

"It's liquidized, takes about an hour to become solid. If we make a cast for it, hollow it out, and let it harden, we just might have the proper pieces to put everything together with a few fixes. Of course they'll be welded neatly into the spot where the other arm would have been, we'll have to attach the old wiring to the new, and we'll cover it with a secure plate."

"Where'd you get these ideas?" Bucky asked.

"Believe it or not, we're basing off this arm mechanic idea off of a few of Stark's suits. Say it's plagiarism, but we're trying everything we can to make this right."

To the name, the two seemed to grimace; Dr. Waters could see it in their faces. They hated the mention of anything to do with him.

"As for your shield," she changed the subject, "We're going to need dimensions and measurements to make it, I was hoping you remembered the size of it."

"I don't need it -."

"He needs it." Bucky said.

"Buck -."

"You need it." He said, staring at Steve and Dr. Waters felt like she didn't belong between their little war. He looked to her, "Was there anything else you needed to tell us?"

"That's it, within the week we'll be working on that arm and we'll have it done." She nodded to her own words, but the ones in her head telling herself about the emails. She couldn't tell them.

"I'll come with you."

"Come with me where?"

"To the truck."

"No, I don't think you should -."

"It's not going to be safe out there, you're dealing with chemicals. Anyone who gets their hands on it but you would could trouble."

To that, she stared at him remembering those damned emails. She looked to Bucky, "I think you should stay here with Bucky, given the circumstances, we can't be too sure if things do go wrong then. If someone confirms this building, I need you to get Bucky out of here if that happens."

"He can take care of himself and everyone else in this place." Steve said, and Bucky nodded.

"He's right, he should go out there with you. Just to be sure, he'll watch your back and make sure that the plutonium gets here safely." Bucky said, "I'll be fine on my own." He smiled lightly to reassure her, but she didn't feel assured in anyway.

"I don't know."

"What do you have to lose?"

"I don't want to answer that." She said solemnly, and the question rose into the air lingering. She could lose a bunch of things; Bucky, Steve, the plutonium, her job, her life was the least of her cares when Bucky or Steve were in the equation. She turned to Steve, "If you come with me, you can't intervene with anything. Those people out there are ready for anything, if they suspect anything wrong or even think something's bad they'll cut all ties with me and I won't get the plutonium. You just stand there and play guardian, nothing else, no words."

He nodded, "Got it."

She turned to Bucky, "Are you sure you're going to be okay? I'm not worried about you, I'm more worried about the people here."

"There'll be no one here, right?"

"Yeah, but a few people I suspect are trying to turn you in for what you've done in the past. I know that wasn't you, I know you couldn't control it, I don't blame you for anything." She stated, and his stare turned soft. A sort of soft that looked sad. "I don't trust the people here for that reason only."

"That's why you were so defensive about Geoff?" Steve asked.

She nodded, "There's plenty of reasons why I don't trust the looks of him, but all I need to know is that you'll be okay, and I'll be able to go out there."

"Yeah," he said softly, "I'll be alright."

She nodded slowly, and sighed. "Alright. If I can, I'll find you a radio. I'll channel it to the radio station that we've been using to communicate with, you'll be able to listen to everything that's going on. Even if it's in a different language, I'll tell you what's going on." He nodded to her words, "We leave after midnight to the location, it'll take some time to get there but once we find it, we have to be quick. I don’t trust the plutonium out there long."

"So, it's settled, we're going." Steve said.

"Yeah, we are."

"Better get to work then, can't have anyone else being suspicious about this." Steve said, opening the door.

Grabbing her folders, she nodded to Bucky and moved towards the door. Eyeing each other, she moved along, and when the door closed she glanced back to the door and continued walking. Steve still had his suspicions about her, and she tried to wedge herself back into his comfort zone. Every time she did, he pushed her away more and more.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aye, Ayh here! I thought I'd update this story. I haven't been writing with it so I've been holding off on updating, but I'd figured why the hell not? Hope you enjoy. :)

The dark road was terrifying even for Dr. Waters as she kept her high beams on traveling at night, midnight just passing, they were on their way towards the woods. The radio stood quiet, and the two of them didn't say a word. The receiver radio on the car suddenly lit up, a voice coming through seconds later.

"Are you there yet?" Bucky asked.

Steve reached for the receiver, pressing the button, and talking into it. "No, we're on our way."

"We'll be there in a few minutes." Dr. Waters said, the forest in the distance. There was no difference between the forest and the sky.

"We'll be there in a few minutes. Don't sweat it Buck." Steve said.

"In some way, I'm not worried."

"Good, one less thing to worry about."

Dr. Waters came closer to the forest, shining her high beams over a small entrance allowing only one vehicle along.

"What's this?"

"There's only one way into the forest, one way in and one way out. So happens to be the same road." She reached for the receiver, "I'll have that." Handing it over, she spoke into the receiver _. "Waters," _ she said,  _ "Anyone there?" _

She waited for a reply, and Steve and her looked back at each other waiting. then it came. _ "Waters, where are you now?" _

" _ Edge of the woods _ , _ far from you."  _ She glanced to Steve as she looked forward to the road.

_ "Downstream _ ,  _ far left." _

"Downstream, far left." She put the car into drive, and handed the receiver over. Having it back, she called.  _ "I’m coming." _

_ "Are you alone?" _

She paused, and Steve saw the hesitation in her face. "What'd he ask?"

"He asked if I was alone."

"Tell him I'm here, that I'm only a escort."

She clicked the button,  _ "No, I have someone. He is helping me load."  _ She pulled away the receiver for a moment turning down a smaller sloped downhill, the terrain wheels going easily over the rocks and roots. "I told him you're my escort; you're helping me load the stuff in."

_ "We didn’t agree on that." _

She sighed,  _ "It doesn’t matter. How do you expect me to load everything in?" _

"What is he saying?"

"We never negotiated someone else into this, he's saying we didn't make a deal about that."

"Will he back down because of it?"

"I hope not."

In the distance, a reflective object bounced back like Morse. Clicking her headlights back, the light stopped and they could see the truck nearing while some men stood around with guns. Coming to a stop, a man with a gun came along as she was getting out of the car. They greeted as Steve got out of his side of the car, and stood beside it. Dr. Waters and the man moved along towards the truck, looking under the tarp, and he could see her nodding with the headlights still shining in on it. Coming back, Dr. Waters opened the passenger side.

"What's going on?"

"Payment. They give me the plutonium," she swung her shoulder bag over her shoulder, "I give them the supplies they need."

"What supplies?"

"Don't worry, they're hospital supplies. Nothing more, they need it more than we do." She moved back along towards the truck and a man kindly took it for her as they helped her up into the back of the truck, throwing the tarp aside Steve could see rectangular tin boxes shining back. The man in front of her held one out, and she pointed to the car. The man nodded and waved his hand, two men moved along grabbing the boxes carefully, and began starting for the car. Steve took it as his moment to move.

One by one they grabbed a box of the several stacked up on the small four by three by three block they'd put it in securely with rope around it, Steve held one in hand already and Dr. Waters was holding out another to him.

"They're a gallon each, all of them makes 36 gallons in liquid form. In solid makes a little more." She put another in his arms, "Make sure they're neat in the car, we have about half of it left."

Nodding to her, he walked along and some men helped him put some in the back carefully packed. Going back for more, it was a constant movement as he glanced up to Dr. Waters having a conversation with the man on the truck in a different, foreign language that everyone seemed to be speaking around him. Going back to the truck with the 22nd gallon, some of the men standing around were looking to the forest around them. Then they started shouting, carefully getting Dr. Waters out of the back of the truck, and putting their back in a circle formation to cover her. Just as Steve was about to step away from the car, a yell sounded as a grenade flew through the air and hit the front of the truck.

The debris hit Dr. Waters in the face, the men screaming, firing their guns, and the man in the back of the trunk had jumped down to get Dr. Waters up and away from the fire. Moving over to Steve, he handed her over yelling at him in his language and he didn't know what to do but get her out of there.

"Come on!" Dr. Waters yelled, running to the driver's side of the car.

"The plutonium!" Steve yelled, opening the door.

"We can't stay here, they're going to kill us." She started to pull into reverse, "I don't want to leave it behind, but I can't risk what I have." Steve put on his seat belt as she quickly turned with her hand over the passenger's side and quickly but carefully backed up along the road.

Steve watched ahead as men came out from the forest around, aiming their guns, and he couldn't do a single thing about it. He wanted to jump out, to help them, to save them but he couldn't do it without being hurt. He had to think about Bucky, about the plutonium. Glancing back to Dr. Water's concentration on backing up in the correct direction, she gave a hard right and they turned into a small ditch and it gave way under the tires of the car. Shifting into drive, she drove forward and was now moving with the battle field behind her.

"Check on them, make sure they're not spilling." She said, glancing in the rear view mirror frantically as the car constantly pounced on its suspension over the rocky terrain. "That plutonium is as radioactive as a nuclear bomb, we can't have it spilling in here. That'll be the end of us."

Steve looked over his shoulder, reaching out to touch every single cold felt mini fridge of their own. None of them leaked, he turned back forward. "We're good."

Dr. Waters glanced in the rear view mirror, seeing a light coming over the hill she'd just overcome. Quickly turning the car off the road, it drove straight into a heavily wooded spot where the bush behind the car bounced back off the ground and acted as if it were never touched. Turning off the car, quickly she scooted down and Steve followed. They listened as the sound of a car came along, the headlights shining as they passed, and they waited until there was silence again instead of screaming and yelling. Slowly coming up from leaning down on the seat, she looked around the dark woods and Steve sat up as she turned on the car and pulled into reverse into the room again. Quietly they moved along to see that the car was nowhere to be seen anymore, nothing but the dust storm it'd left behind from speeding away so fast.

Carefully going back onto the road they'd traveled on, Dr. Waters grabbed the receiver. "Bucky, you there?"

There was silence, and panic worried the both of them in the car.

She called again, "Buck, answer me back. We need you."

There was silence but the slight static, Steve took the receiver as they drove along. "Bucky, you there? Answer back, come on. We need to know you're alright."

"He's not answering." Dr. Waters mumbled against her nails as she bit it driving along.

"Maybe he fell asleep."

"Maybe, but we can't be too sure." She looked in the mirrors, "We can't go back to the lab, someone could be following us. We can't let anyone know where the road is."

"So, what're we supposed to do?"

"For now, we have to lay low. At least until the next hour, when we get back on the road we'll bring the plutonium to the lab, we could work on it every time no one's there at night. It'll be safer that way. There's equipment there we could use."

"And Bucky? What about him?"

She took the receiver calling again, "Bucky, we can't go back there right now but listen to me. Stay there, keep your door locked, don't let anyone in if they knock. We'll be back in an hour, if not we'll contact you again when we can. I'll always have my radio on, and I'll be listening." Holding onto the button a little longer, she spoke again. "I really hope you're just asleep, and I'm not worrying for something big. I hope you're alright Buck." Putting it back, she sighed and opened the window a little. Sunk into their seats, she drove them to her house and pulling up to the small apartments Steve paused.

"Where are we?"

"My house. Come on, I'll get you something to eat inside." She said, grabbing her keys and her coat.

Walking up to the house, they walked in and she turned on the lights. The plain apartment features coming into show. "How long have you lived here?"

"For as long as I've been on this project." She said, moving through the kitchen to get him a chilled bottle of water from the small fridge. After that, she started to her bedroom turning the radio on and hiding a few things.

"You don't really spend much time here?"

"I do, I just haven't recently. I've been so busy at work, now I have a reason to actually be on my feet constantly." She said coming into the room, and leaning against the wall beside the small living room. A couch and coffee table to fill in the spaces, "I have live chemicals ready to be used, I have to be awake at all times if I want that safe." She said, moving back to the kitchen, looking through her fridge.

"I don't think you're alone on that anymore." He said, leaning in the doorway.

"Maybe not." She said, handing him an apple and he took it thanking her. "In a few minutes, I'll try Bucky again. See if he answers back." Steve nodded, "Try to sit and relax, I know it's not the best of times to say that but we need all the energy we can get right now."

Agreeing, both of them tried to relax for the time being while they waiting for a sort of okay to head back. Contacting Bucky back, he still didn't answer. Washing her face and changing into a new set of clothes, they were back out of the door and back to the lab in no time. The first thing they did was rush down the hall towards Bucky's room, knocking there was no reply. Pushing, the door was locked, with the easy swipe of her card, they poured into the room and both sighed a silent breath of relief.

Bucky remained unharmed, silenced by the simple act of sleep. Getting the plutonium in and putting them in their rooms under the beds, Dr. Waters bid Steve goodnight, and leaving the hall she rubbed her eyes in exhaustion. She didn't know what to do, stay there and sleep or go back home and sleep? She wasn't needed there but she felt she needed to stay because of the plutonium and because of the two, staying there another night she fell asleep with her head rested against her desk, and her jacket over her. She'd never felt so tired in her life.

 


End file.
